Friend killed in crash as woman pulled into M6 services at speed and hit sign with car

Dixie Gamponia travelled at full speed along the slip road onto the southbound services at Stafford before hitting a manhole cover and smashing into a petrol sign.

Her passenger, 59-year-old care worker Christeta Ferrer, suffered multiple injures in the crash and died. Her husband, Rodolfa Ferrer was also in the car and suffered a fractured spine.

Stafford Crown Court heard how Gamponia, who is originally from the Philippines, had only passed her UK driving test two months before.

She failed to slow down as she approached the service station and smashed her Honda into an Esso sign.

The 44-year-old, who lives in Warrington, admitted causing death by careless driving. She was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years, banned from driving for three years and ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid community work.

Judge Mark Eades told her: "The deceased person was your friend and you are going to have to live with that for the rest of your life.

"It is quite clear from the impact of the car it was clearly going too fast as it came to the end of the deceleration lane, no proper effort had been made to slow the car for entrance to the services."

Mr Paul Farrow, prosecuting, said the fatal crash happened at the entrance to the southbound services at Stafford on June 21 last year. Gamponia had never driven onto a motorway service station before.

Witnesses reckoned she was going at maximum speed along the slip road. Her car hit a raised manhole cover before leaving the ground and hitting the Esso sign. All of the occupants with the exception of Mrs Ferrer were able to get out.

Staff and families of residents at the care home in Warrington where the victim worked rallied together to help have her body repatriated back home. She had previously been employed as a qualified nurse in the Philippines but had worked away from home for the last 15 years to help pay for her children's education. She had been heading to Bristol when the accident happened.

A service station worker arriving for her shift and the manager tried in vain to resuscitate Mrs Ferrer with chest compressions.